If our children are going to remain faithful to God in a time of trials and persecution there are some things we have to do to prepare them for something we have never faced before. One of those things is . . .Study Survival Skills

In the first century, because of the persecution by Saul the Christians were scattered. At the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus had warned His followers and they fled before the destruction. Elijah had to hide in the wilderness for a while and was miraculously cared for by God. If a similar situation occurred where would you go and what would you do? We can’t expect the miraculous, though we may pray for God’s providence. However, God is more concerned with our spiritual lives than our physical lives. Hebrews 11:35-38 speaks of the righteous: “. . . and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: {36} And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: {37} They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; {38} (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Notice that some of these godly people not only suffered, but also died. We tend to tell our children the stories where everything worked out for good in the end, but we shy away from the stories with a happy ending only in the after-life, those who did not accept deliverance so that they might obtain a better resurrection.

The fact is we need to realize that God is not always going to protect us from harm, even death. We need to consider the possibility that we too might be outcasts, destitute, afflicted, wandering in the wilderness one day. It is hard for us to imagine what that would be like. We are so accustomed to buying any food we want at the store from all over the world, turning on the tap and having water, being able to swipe a card to pay for what we want, driving wherever we want whenever we want, living where we want, working where we want if we are capable of doing the job. What would we do if we became pariahs? What if believing the Bible caused us to lose a job? Remember the Mozilla CEO who lost his job because six years ago he gave some money to support marriage as it is defined by the Bible? What if you had to register like the Jews in Nazi Germany? What if your property was confiscated because you were a Christian? What if you lost your social security, Medicare, or other sources of income or benefits because you were a Christian like those in India? What would you do?

While it is essential that we always trust God, He expects us to do more than sit around waiting for Him to do everything for us. I hope we are not doing that now, and we certainly shouldn’t when things go bad. It may sound extreme, but I believe it would be good for us to learn some survival skills. If the time comes that we or our children are the ones wandering in deserts, and mountains and dens and caves of the earth, wouldn’t it be good to know how to survive. I am not saying we have to try to put Bear Grylls (Man Vs. Wild) out of business, but that knowing how to hunt, fish, live off the land, and grow food is not a bad thing and could be a good thing in a time of turmoil or persecution. For many it has been at least 2-3 generations from the time that their family did those things in a real way.

Christians are not to be cowards, but there is an advantage to living to fight another day. How do you suppose the early Christians responded to Saul hunting them or the Roman government later? I don’t read about many that came up and said, “Hey, I am a Christian arrest me.” We read in Acts 8 that the church was scattered because of the persecution by Saul. I don’t think they filled out change of address forms at the Post Office and called to get their Dish moved or loaded everything on a U-haul. More likely some of them left businesses, land, houses, etc. and ran for their lives. Sometimes maybe even sneaking away in the middle of the night like Paul when he was let down out of the window in the wall of the city. Was that cowardly? Of course as they ran they told others about Jesus and His gospel, they were devoted and dedicated to Christ, but wanted to continue living to serve Him better. Many who were captured were unflinching as they faced death like Stephen, but some did give in as Paul tells us in Acts 26:11. We may have to flee with our families, or our children may have to flee with theirs. Wouldn’t it be wise to teach them how to do it? Some might view this as fearmongering, but I prefer to think of the Boy Scout motto “be prepared”. Survival skills could come in handy if there is a storm that knocks out power for a long time, or if you got lost on a hike, or stranded on the road. It would serve you better than knowing the story line of whatever hit TV show is on every night. Who knows what other people you may be able to help as well. There are a multitude of survival sites on the internet and even people who run camps to train you to survive in the wild. Urban survival is another thing entirely, and there are sites that teach that as well. There are books and videos, checklists, supplies, etc. to help you make it without the modern conveniences to which we are so accustomed. Be sure to compare the different information and not just take one person’s blog as gospel on the subject. Learn about the world God created in the process instead of just being focused on the world mankind has adapted.

If our children are going to remain faithful to God in a time of trials and persecution there are some things we have to do to prepare them for something we have never faced before. One of those things is . . .Live Light

After looking at Making Money Matter, you might be thinking that I am saying everything is bad. That is not how I feel about it. How is it justifiable to go out to eat, have cars, TV’s, nice clothes, houses, etc. and be growing closer to God? How can a car help my relationship with God? How does going out to eat (which my daughter and I did last night) get me closer to Heaven? The answer lies in our attitudes and motivations, in other words, the why we have it and how we use it. A car can be used to take someone to the bar or casino, or it can be used to take someone to church or a doctor. A car can be a status symbol we use to show how important and cool we think we are or it can be a functional tool that we use to serve others. Similarly, eating out costs more than a home cooked meal (dinner with my daughter was about $20 which is about double what it cost for all 7 of our family to eat dinner the night before), so, why choose to spend money that way? Simply because relationships are more important than money. My daughter and I were able to have some special time together to talk and bond with each other which ultimately will help in the effort to get her to Heaven. That certainly doesn’t mean that I should take her out every night because then it is not a special occasion but just a routine that no longer develops the relationship. It is possible to do special things that don’t cost more money, and we need to do that as well. In fact, in the absence of resources we can be creative to find ways to do things that are special to build relationships.

Money is not to be our god, but a tool we use to get closer to God and bring others closer to God. We must also be sure that we don’t worship and serve our possessions (or any of the things the money buys), but make sure they serve us. When I say that we need to teach kids to live light there is a literal need for us to avoid having too much stuff, and a desperate need to intellectually and emotionally separate our selves from the stuff. If there is a time of persecution, one of the things that would quickly be lost is possessions. We sing the song “This World Is Not My Home”, but we seem to try to make it our home by the possessions we accumulate. I remember reading about a missionary’s child who grew up learning that everything was either a tool or an idol. Think about some possession that is precious to you and how you would feel if it were stolen or destroyed in a fire, or broken by one of your children or grandchildren. Are you imagining or maybe remembering those feelings? How does that feel? How important is that thing in the scope of your life? How important is it in consideration of eternity?

I am not saying that we should not take care of the things in our possession, the Bible teaches good stewardship. Being neglectful or destructive with our possessions or the possessions of others is not good stewardship. If you had to flee what would you take with you? How much of that precious stuff could you fit in your car in an emergency escape setting? Again, I am not saying that it is sinful to have nice things in your nice house, but that emotionally and intellectually we have to count it as already lost. If there is something so dear to us that we could not leave it behind to save our selves and our families from capture or death there is a problem. There is no item that is more precious than human life, even a one of a kind antique or work of art. And, if that is true of physical life, how much more true of spiritual life? Jesus asked what a man would give in exchange for his soul, and that is something we should ask ourselves about every thing in our lives.

I remember reading about the discoveries in Pompeii several years ago. They found one woman who appeared to be running away from the lava, but who had seemingly turned around to reach back for something when the lava overtook her. What had been so important that she would turn back toward certain death? Was she trying to save another person, maybe a child? No, as they continued to dig they found she was reaching back for some jewelry. She might not have been able to escape regardless, but one wonders how much time she wasted getting those things instead of just getting out. How many times had she dropped something and stopped to pick them up taking away even more precious time? Jesus warned about the destruction of another city, Jerusalem, and exhorted people to flee without going back for anything, just run for your life. Because of his warning the Christians escaped Jerusalem before it was destroyed, but they lost houses, lands, possessions, and even family that did not believe.

The fact is when persecution arises things will become much less important in the scheme of things. However, if we wait for persecution before putting things in perspective we will fail to make the corrections if the persecution does not come, and that could cost us our eternal life. In order to avoid that we need to adjust our priorities now. Paul talked about the difference in mindset that we should have as Christians. In Philippians 3:7-9 he says he counts all things as loss for Christ and even compares them to dung. We need to prepare emotionally and mentally to give up possessions so that it will not be difficult to literally and physically give them up when the time comes. We will give them all up at death ready or not. It is good to actually give up some things along the way. Most of us could probably give up half of what we have and not be impacted significantly. We have closets full of clothes and only wear 20% of them plus we have more packed away somewhere. There is a multi-million dollar industry that rents space for people to store stuff that they can’t fit in their houses, garages, sheds, etc. Much of that stuff has not even been seen in months or years and people are buying more stuff to put in their already overpacked houses. If evolution were true humans would not have evolved from apes, but from packrats.

It never ceases to amaze me that we constantly have these amazing inventions that are supposed to save us so much time, and yet, everyone I meet has less time than people did just a generation or two ago. It we invent many more of these marvelous time-saving contraptions we may need a time machine to go with them so that we can go back in time to have enough time to use them. Remember when people had time to sit on the porch and talk or sit around the table and play games with each other, or read books, etc.? Things seem to be taking control of our lives. We have to work more to make more to have more that costs more and takes more of our time. We are in danger of being possessed by our own possessions! Who owns who?

Don’t think that I am perfect at this or have figured out what is necessary and what is excess, but the fact is the Bible teaches us that we should be content with food and clothing. Can you imagine life with only food and a little clothing? I know I can’t. Many years ago they asked about necessities and made a list. It was a good bit longer than food, shelter, and clothing, but not nearly as long as the one they did several years later that had over 100 items on it. I wonder what the list of things considered necessities would be today. If we don’t learn to live light and teach our children to do the same, then we will be too weighed down to rise and meet Jesus in the air when he returns. - jp

If our children are going to remain faithful to God in a time of trials and persecution there are some things we have to do to prepare them for something we have never faced before. One of those things is . . .Make Money Matter

We have to impress our children with the conviction that it is folly to trust in riches, but that it is not a sin to have and use wealth if we do it God’s way. It is the love of money and not the money itself that is the problem. Money will not keep you from having a headache, but you will be able to buy aspirin if you have some of it. Obviously, there are much more expensive events that we may need money to overcome.

We need to be honest about the money we spend. First we need to actually look and see where our money is going, then we need to make a plan. Are the things we are buying helping us in our relationship with God or are they hindering our progress toward Heaven. There was a scene in a movie years ago that showed a man who had lost his wealth. As he was leaving what had been his extravagant house he began to pick up items saying that he would be okay as long as he could keep this item and that item and before long he had more than he could carry and he couldn’t even walk anymore. Sometimes we are the same way with all of our stuff. Our possessions are weighing our souls down so that we struggle to walk toward Heaven.

We also need to ask if we are using our money to help others get to Heaven. Even if we were able to say that none of our spending was hindering our trip toward eternal life, we are falling short if we are not using it to bring others to Christ. There are many charities out there that do wonderful things in this physical world, like finding cures for diseases, protecting the environment or helping feed the hungry, but if that is all they do it is not enough. Even if we could eliminate poverty and disease completely the more serious problem of sin would still destroy souls. There is nothing inherently wrong with trying to make this world better, but what value is this life compared to eternity. Jesus fed hungry people and healed sick people, but He did not come for that reason. He came to seek and save the lost, and as Christians that is the first obligation we have toward others after taking care of our own.

Why do so many of us wind up mediocre with money? One of the biggest problems is not that we are doing bad things with money, but that we are not doing the best things with it. If a family goes out to eat once a week and spends $50 more than a home cooked meal would have been and imagine if this couple did that from the time they were married through their 50th anniversary, then over that 50 years this couple would have spent $130,000 eating out. Think about how much more it would be if they used credit cards and paid interest on it over the years! In fact, if they charged their first dinner and left it to accrue interest and paid for the rest of those dinners, that one $50 dinner rolled over month after month at 10% interest would wind up costing over $5,800! Now that is an expensive dinner. Is it wrong for a family to go out to eat? Certainly not, but even too much of an okay thing can destroy what is best.

The enemy of the best is not the worst, it is the ‘good enough’. How often do we look around and think we are doing ‘good enough’ or ‘better than a lot of people’. I imagine the servant who buried his master’s money in Jesus’ parable of the talents probably thought those thoughts. At least I won’t lose it may have been his motto, but Jesus called him a wicked and lazy servant (Matthew 25:26). God expects us to be wise with the things of this world. Jesus said that if we can’t do well with these worldly things we will never be trusted with true riches (Luke 16:11-13). So, probably the most difficult question we have to ask is: “Am I doing what is best with the money entrusted to me?” Of course if we are honest we must admit that we are not doing the best with all of our money. We need to make an effort to improve this area of our money and train our children to have wiser money habits than we have had.

The fact is we have to make money matter because money matters. Money is a proving ground for us and how we handle it says a great deal about our character. When we remember that it all belongs to God, that we are only managing it for Him, and that we will answer to Him for our management, we will need to change the way we use it. I know I can think of many things I have done with money that are not what God would have wanted done with His money. Over a lifetime a person may easily have over $2 million go through his hands. What is there to show for it at the end of that lifetime? - jp

If our children are going to remain faithful to God in a time of trials and persecution there are some things we have to do to prepare them for something we have never faced before. One of those things is . . . Make Money Matter

As Christians our focus should be spiritual, but we live in a physical world and money is a part of that world. We will be judged for how we deal with money, possessions, and our stewardship of them. Too many Christians in America spend more money each year on late fees and interest for their debt than they give to the work of the Lord. That can’t be called good stewardship. In Luke 16:1-13 Jesus tells a parable and makes some statements about money, stewardship, and using them in relationships. The fact is that Christ had more to say about money than many other subjects. It has been said that there are over 800 verses about money in the Bible. God even established a monetary system for his nation, Israel, and though He did not do that with His church, He does give guidance for us on how to handle it.

One of the things that Jesus taught while He was here was that His followers should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). In one of His parables (Luke 16:1-13) His lesson is that we should use money to develop our relationships, or we might say invest in our friendships instead of using our friends, family and other relationships to make money. The reason He gives is that when necessary our relationships can be more powerful resources than money. That being said money can be an extremely helpful tool when it is used wisely and is the servant and not the master.

Consider men like Barnabas who were able to sell land and help the needy in the Jerusalem church. How was he able to do that? If he had not wisely handled his financial affairs in the past he would not have had any means to help in the time of need. Jesus promised there will always be those who are poor (Mark 14:7). Even in the church there will be those who need financial help for one reason or another. This will be especially true as the level of negativity toward Christians increases to the point that there is discrimination against them or they lose income and/or employment as a result of standing for what is right and refusing to commit sins to keep those jobs or that income.

While life is not about the accumulation of wealth, the Bible does teach us to take care of our own household and management of money as well as other resources is a necessary part of obeying that teaching. The Bible says in Proverbs 21:20 that wise people have treasure and oil, but foolish people spend everything. By that definition many of us in America are foolish because we spend everything and then borrow more and spend that too. The problem is that at some point that comes to an end. In Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish virgins the wise had extra oil with them and the foolish ran out. Most in our society would think that the ones who had some oil should share with the ones that ran out, but Jesus doesn’t have them do that in the story and he calls them wise for refusing. Their answer when asked to share was that if they did they would not have enough for themselves. God loves sharing, but sharing is to come from a surplus not from what is needed for the individual or his family.

Considering all of these things we need to quit spending wastefully and store up resources for our families’ needs during difficult times. It doesn’t matter whether it is an actual persecution of Christians, or a natural disaster, illness, lost job, war, or any other emergency that occurs; money and resources will be useful.We must emphasize our trust in God, but also our obedience to his teachings about caring for our families.

Here is an article on how we define success. What if you get to the top of the ladder only to find that it was leaning against the wrong wall? This article is worth our time and attention. There are many more available at www.focuspress.org - jp

If our children are going to remain faithful to God in a time of trials and persecution there are some things we have to do to prepare them for something we have never faced before. One of those things is . . . Focus on the Future of Heaven.

We live in a society obsessed with instant gratification. Most people have trouble paying attention to a 20 minute sitcom on TV and some probably can’t make it through the 30 second commercials. We want our food ready in under 5 minutes. We want a pill that will make the pounds melt away or better yet liposuction to suck the pounds away in an afternoon. We want to win the lottery or a sweepstakes or get an inheritance and be rich. We want the newest computer gadget, fashion, car, fad, entertainment experience, etc. We want everything right now, but there are some things that don’t work that way. Stephen Covey uses the principle of the farm to help us understand that in the spiritual realm right now won’t work. Just as a farmer can’t wait until September to plow, plant, fertilize, do pest and weed control, and water if he expects a harvest in October, we can’t live a life of selfishness and instant gratification and expect to be able to harvest joy, peace, and patience. We can’t live like the devil and expect to spend eternity with God. We can’t raise our children to be materialistic, selfish, arrogant, worldly, immodest, spoiled brats and then think that at 18 or 21 or 25 or some other magic age they will automatically become spiritual, selfless, humble, godly, modest, kind saints. It takes hard work to scrub away the grime and the longer it has been hardening the more scrubbing it takes to get it off, like oatmeal dried in a pot for days(I would not recommend cooking oatmeal and then leaving the remnants in the pot for days, just some friendly advice from the voice of experience).

The problem is that everyone lives for the right now. Everyone says you only have one life to live so make the most of it. That is not true! We have two lives to live, one here on Earth and another to be determined by the way we live this one, in either Heaven or Hell. Even if both lives were of equal length it would not make sense to live the lives of reckless abandon that is becoming the norm. How much more pointless is it then when we consider that this life is but a speck of time compared to the one to come. Romans 8:13-18 reminds us not to compare them equally.

Are we truly naive enough to think that we and our children can be and do and have everything that the worldly people are and do and have and yet by some miracle not be worldly people. Do we think because we call America a Christian nation that 2 Corinthians 6:13-18 doesn’t apply anymore. The fact of the matter is that we have got to start looking past this world and its pleasures. What if our kids didn’t get to watch cartoons? Would that be so bad? What if they didn’t go to the mall or the movies with friends when they wanted to go? What if they didn’t get to play that sport, be in that club, learn ballet or karate? What if we didn’t go out to McDonald’s? What if they didn’t get to ___________(put your child’s favorite activity in the blank)? Would we be horrible parents? Now let me ask one more. What if they did get to do all of those things and more, but didn’t get to go to Heaven? That doesn’t mean that every activity is evil, but does it cause such a distraction or such a desire, or take time that should be spent on spiritual development in such a way that it hinders spiritual growth.

I heard one father say recently that he didn’t care if his kids were not the most athletic, the best spellers, the most artistic, the smartest with the best grades, etc. he wanted them to be the best Christians. Now Christianity is not a competition like football or a spelling bee, but what if the world got to the point that it was in Noah’s day and there was only one family that was right with God. Would you want that one family to be your family? What if we live in a city that becomes like Sodom and Gomorrah? What if we can’t just move to another town because they are all that way? Would you be the one family that God would try to save? What if things were like in Elijah’s day? Would you be one of the 7000 that didn’t bow the knee to Baal? What if you are in a church like the one Moses led out of Egypt? When everyone starts throwing their hands up and quitting will you join them or speak up and stand up like Joshua and Caleb? If we don’t have our sights set on Heaven we will fail when the tough times come, and if the world is in our hearts like it was in Lot’s wife’s we will never escape.

Do not be deceived God is not mocked, whatever a man sows is what he will reap. Galatians 6:7-9 reminds us of the spiritual law of the farm. We need to remind ourselves and our children not only with words or songs, but with actions that this world is not our home. We are just traveling through on our way to somewhere better, Heaven, Hebrews 8:11-16. Don’t miss out by having too much here, and not making it there. Keep your focus on that unseen city.

How much of your life focus is on stuff and money, status symbols and image? Probably more than you are willing to admit. Do the things that you and your family have and spend money on help you get closer to God or pull you away from Him. I will make this disclaimer that I have not seen this movie, but I do plan to soon. The reviews that I have seen and the trailer make it look like a great family film that emphasizes the importance of people over things and God above all. I am sure that there are some denominational leanings in it, but the message of God or mammon is certainly a biblical one. Being a father means making some tough decisions and then leading the family the right way. Check out the trailer and the website for yourself. www.standstrongthemovie.com/jp

Fathers should give good gifts to their children, but that doesn’t mean they have to cost a lot of money or that you should go into debt to do it. The fact is that the best gifts really can’t be bought. In addition, the gift of teaching children the limits of money and how they should handle their finances in the future is a good gift. I often tell my children, "It’s good to want things, and better not to get them." If you got everything you ever thought you wanted in your life how miserable would you be?Matthew 7:9-11 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? (10) Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? (11) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?Check out this video on the subject of Christmas spending: http://www.daveramsey.com/christmas/blog/id/december-you-january-you

What do you care about most? God? Jesus? Family? The church? The Bible? We talked about not pretending in the last post, and this is one area where people pretend. I didn’t ask, ‘What are you supposed to care about most?’, I asked what you DO care about most. The question is what do you actually care about and value more than other things? It is not a matter of saying, but doing. The things we truly value can be seen in our actions. What do we spend time, energy, and money on regularly and willingly. Look at your spending habits, do a budget. Are you spending more on your car than you are giving to the Lord? Which is more important? Would you go out and spend $50 - $100 on a meal for your family, but gripe about having to bring $5 worth of food for the church fellowship meal? Do you think nothing of dropping $100 a month on cable, but complain that a $50 Bible that will last several years is too expensive? Do you find yourself buying things for yourself, but being stingy toward your spouse or children? (Gun, rod, HDTV, etc. ‘no problem’ - Dress, shoes, purse, etc. / doll, ball, toy, book, school trip, etc. ‘we can’t waste that much money’) Math doesn’t lie. What are your real priorities? What you are willing to sacrifice tells the truth about your allegiances.Look at your time-spending habits. How was time spent in the past week or month? It might surprise you how little was actually spent on the things you claim to value most. Because of the nature of the human body we must spend a large amount of time sleeping each day. There is also a necessity for us to work to provide for our physical bodies and our families. If we look at a week there are 168 hours. When we start to categorize that time we have a problem. We often claim that we don’t have time for . . ., but we seem to have time for other things. Consider that IF we slept 8 hours a day, that leaves 112 hours. If we work even a 50 hour week and have a 2 hour commute 6 days a week, that leaves us 50 hours. That is more than 2 whole days or more than 7 hours a day for the whole week. What are we doing with that much time? I know that there is meal preparation and eating, shopping, personal hygiene concerns, other errands, etc., etc., etc. Consider, however, that many do not sleep 8 hours or spend 62 hours working leaving even less of an excuse. Under Moses’ Law the Jews were required to tithe their increase, meaning whatever profit they made they gave a tenth to God. We are not under that covenant, we have a better one. I wonder why we think it should be cheaper. Usually when something is better we expect it to be more expensive. Jesus said that our righteousness should exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, who diligently gave even the herbs from their gardens. But suppose we applied the tithe concept to our money and time. Where do we fall? Do you give God $10 out of every $100 you make? $5? $1? $15? Do you give of all that you prospered, or only what you take home after taxes, insurance, retirement, etc. have already been taken out? You have probably considered this with regard to money before, but what about with time. We sometimes think that 4 hours a week at church and praying at meals makes someone really righteous, but consider that if we were to give 10% of our time that would be nearly 17 hours a week. How do you rate on that scale? I don’t mean that we should sit at church for 17 hours, instead that we should be spending time outside of corporate worship. Interestingly enough, one study by Neilsen the average person in the U.S. watches over 4 hours of TV each day, almost 36 hours a week. That is somewhat bloated by the fact that those over 65 average nearly 49 hours a week. I should think it would not be too hard to carve a third of those hours out for something of eternal value to replace that of no real value.Be honest with yourself! What is really most important to you? If it is not what it should be change.

Right now in our nation, there are those who have lost their homes and all that they once owned. There are also those who are facing the possibility of losing their homes to a flood. What should be a Christian's response to these things? Should we be fearful of losing the physical things in life?

Let's seek the answers from God's word. Here's what He says:

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)

AND

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2:15-17)